StarCraft Delta Team
by TigerTommy1982
Summary: When Francis and Mark, two Terran space marines, are sent with the rest of their team to Chau Sara, they find that the Zerg have re-infested the planet and must use all their wits and skills to survive the harsh environment.
1. Prologue

Prologue

Five years after the Protoss bombardment, Chau Sara was a barren wasteland. The energy beams of Protoss ships had blasted to oblivion every last scrap of life that had existed on the planet's surface, Terran and Zerg alike.

Despite the war that resulted, Chau Sara was not to be abandoned forever. Colonists from the Terran Dominion held a soft spot in their hearts for the first known world infested by the Zerg, and soon, the Kel-Morian Combine re-established a base there, to salvage what small amounts of minerals and vespene gas they could from the former eighth Confederate core colony world.

Slowly, life was returning to Chau Sara… Both Terran and Zerg. It was only a matter of time before conflicts started again.


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

A poke on the arm woke Mark Wolfe out of his slumber in the transport.

"Whaddayou want, Francis?" He looked over in annoyance at his friend.

"Mark… look." Francis was looking out the window, his craggy face split with a grin. Mark leaned over to get a better view and was treated to a gorgeous view of an orange planetary ball, backlit by the sun around which Chau Sara orbited.

"Huh. Pretty view," Mark grunted. "Probably won't be as pretty once we hit the cloud cover though."

"Aw come on, Mark," Francis protested. "You're not even a little excited about this? It's CHAU SARA, Mark! The planet where the Zerg first showed up!"

"Yeah, Francis, but there's probably not much left there. I mean, yeah, there's a whole pile of minerals that got bombarded by radiation, but the Protoss turned this place to ash doing that, there can't be much in the way of actual civilization."

Francis rubbed his bearded chin and looked thoughtful. "That's true, Mark. What'd you think of these new Zerg reports though?"

Mark shrugged, his thin body a dark form in the dim light. "I'm hoping they're not true, obviously. Getting caught down here in another Protoss incineration zone would really ruin everyone's day. Actually, I'm hoping that the infestation is minor enough that we can clear it out ourselves; would be fun to get to shoot up some more of those nasty buggers."

Francis grinned wolfishly. "That it would, my friend, that it would. Nothing like a nice tidy Zerg hunt."

Mark grunted. "If it's ok with you, I'm gonna sleep some more till we hit planetside?"

Francis nodded. "Sure Mark, go ahead."

As Mark nodded off again, Francis Wall considered his friend, one of the only ones left that he had. They had known each other since they were kids, growing up on Antigua Prime, and met in their first year of elementary school. The black hair around Francis's face twitched in a small smile as he remembered some of the mischief they used to get into. Five years in the Terran Marines had changed both of them, but they were still good friends and often sought each other's advice.

Francis was starting to get worried though. Mark had been drawing more and more into himself ever since he came back from Ghost training. He was distant and aloof at times now, especially in the field. It was concerning to Francis. Mark always had a bit of a loner streak, but now it seemed like he was untrusting of the rest of the scout squad they were a part of. A soft chuckle escaped Francis's lips. _Just like old times,_ he thought. _I always did have to look after you, Mark._


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

As the medivac touched down on the tarmac and the team exited the aircraft, they found a huge, hulking man waiting to meet them. The wind was whipping dust around the airport's landing lines, but he stood impassively, steady as a rock amidst the windy day.

"Sergeant Wall?" he rumbled as they approached. His voice was very gravelly, reminiscent of a rockslide.

"Yes, sir?"

"I'm Gunnery Sergeant Ken Derricks. Nice to see you boys here."

The team saluted, and then made a round of handshakes with him. Derricks' handshake was firm and confident, his open, well-kept face creased with smile lines. Francis liked him immediately.

"Scout Squad Delta, reporting for duty, sir," said Francis.

"Sir, are there really Zerg on this planet? I thought the Protoss wiped them all out," asked Corporal Hart.

Gunnery Sergeant Derricks nodded grimly. "There may be. What's your name, soldier?"

"Corporal Bruce Hart, sir."

"Well, Corporal, I suggest you get ready for some action. We'll be sending you out to investigate reports of Zerg tomorrow. You'll have details from Sergeant Wall here after I brief him when we get back to base."

The team exchanged looks. _That sounds ominous, _thought Francis.

"For now, let's just get you settled in, though, eh?" Derricks said. "Come on, let's get your gear into the truck."

Once their bags were stowed into the back of the truck, the team buckled into their seats and Sergeant Derricks drove out onto the dusty, unkempt road.

"Are all the roads like this, Sarge?" asked Francis. "I thought we resettled this place a year ago."

Derricks chuckled. "More like six months ago. We haven't gotten around to repaving the roads yet, most of the money we've made has gone into putting up the buildings you see out on your right." He flicked his wrist, indicating two distant forms that were almost indistinct on the horizon. "That's a factory and barracks you see out there, although it's hard to tell with the way the weather is these days. You'll all be staying in the barracks while you're here."

"How are the rooms?" Mark asked.

Derricks shrugged. "They're alright… everyone gets a bureau, a bed, and a desk. The rooms are small though; only about fifteen feet square. The higher-ups went for functionality rather than quality."

"What kind of toys do we get to play with, Sarge?" asked Corporal Hart. "Any neat weapons in the factory?"

Derricks glanced backwards, a small grin on his face. "Heh. You boys eager to be let off the leash or what?"

"Don't mind him, Sarge," said Francis. "He's just antsy, we haven't had any real action in a couple months."

"That explains it," answered Derricks. "As it happens, you will surely be grateful to know that we've been storing a number of new toys in our warehouses. I'm certain you boys will be mighty pleased with the new Hellion bikes."

"Woo!" exulted Corporal Hart. "That's what I like to hear, Sarge. Nothing like getting new guns and vehicles. Christmas came early this year."

"Don't get too excited now," cautioned Derricks. "I don't want to have to fish you out of the road for celebrating too much back there."

As the truck progressed along the road towards the barracks and factory, the outlines of the familiar buildings became clear to the men in the car. Steam and smoke rose from the towering buildings as the new Hellions buzzed around the factory, parking and leaving as activity swirled in the course of daily events.

"Thanks for the ride, Gunnery Sergeant. We appreciate the lift," said Francis as the team climbed out of the truck and grabbed their bags.

"No problem, Sergeant. Check in and come find me when your team's settled. We should go over some things."

"Absolutely, sir. Where can I find you?"

Derricks pointed. "About two blocks from here in a green building on the left. That's where the command headquarters is."

"I'll be there as soon as I can," promised Francis.


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

The door hissed open, and Francis looked around the room at three men, who all stood up as he and Gunnery Sergeant Derricks entered.

"At ease. Please be seated," said Derricks. He took out a map and spread it on the table in the middle of the room, as Francis and the other men sat down in chairs set around the table.

"Three days ago, a civilian came in, covered in blood, and carrying the corpses of two of his friends in his truck. His description of the creatures attacking them fit the profile of Zerg Hydralisks, and the wounds that the medical team found are consistent with those strains. There were other wounds, though, which did not match up with anything we know about the Zerg, and which the civilian was unable to explain due to shock. He said that they had been attacked here," he stabbed a spot on the map, "on a road leading northeast of here. We're going to have each of your teams spread out from that spot tomorrow, and spend the day hunting. Do NOT engage the Zerg if you encounter them. We have been ordered to find them but for now, not pursue."

"Why, sir?" one of the other men asked.

"The civilian mentioned that he had seen creep on his way into town, and that they had been attacked as soon as they were noticed by the Swarm. We want to determine the extent of the threat, and if necessary take all possible steps to remove it. We… may have something special planned, if the Swarm has infested this planet more than we're aware."

_Huh. Wonder what that could be… _thought Francis. _Last time I heard something like that, battlecruisers decorated the skies soon afterwards. Do they know something?_

Gunnery Sergeant Derricks stood, and the other men stood with him and saluted. "Dismissed, gentlemen. I suggest you and your squads all get a good night's sleep tonight. It could be a long day tomorrow."


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

The caravan of trucks quietly pulled to the side of the road in the brightening dawn light. Quite a bit of blood decorated the spot where the three civilians had been attacked. As the motors puttered to a stop, and the team climbed out, Mark found himself twitchy, with a combination of nervousness and anticipation. This was not made easier by the fact that the rest of his team was feeling the same way. The training he'd received at Antigua Prime's Ghost Academy had helped him learn how to place mental blocks around himself, but he still found it difficult in large groups. He'd already had to block out worries from Corporals Hart and Devine about whether they'd be seeing the girls they'd left behind on Antigua Prime again, although Francis seemed oddly at peace with the fact that they'd be hunting some of the most deadly killers known to humankind. The rest of the teams in the other trucks had similar worries for the most part.

_Perhaps I give you too little credit, my friend,_ he thought. _If I were leading this expedition I don't know that I'd be half so calm._

"Remember boys," Francis whispered, "we're to follow and observe, not engage. Let's all make it home to see our beds tonight, eh?"

They waved to the figures in the other trucks, already disappearing into the woods, and set off to the northeast, weapons out and at the ready.

It wasn't long before the morning got extremely interesting. An hour into their hunt, Mark's wrist comlink chirped. "Mark," Francis said, "come over here and look at this. I'm on the other side of the hill to your left."

Mark drew his rifle and looked to the left; Francis waved at him, and beckoned. As Mark walked over, his face turned into a troubled scowl. Three large holes perforated the ground, with scratch marks all around them and the twisting tracks of Hydralisks leading away into the woods.

"These can't be more than a day old," Mark said, as Corporals Devine, Montville, and Hart arrived at the spot to gaggle at the scene. "This must be where the Hydralisks that attacked the civilians were hiding."

"Agreed. We should follow the tracks. Stay alert and quiet, though, we can't afford to be caught."

The team followed the tracks for only a short distance before Mark realized that the dirt had changed color. He reached down and picked some of it up.

"What is it?" Corporal Montville asked.

"…The track smells funny. Like… uhoh." Mark dropped the dirt and looked around. "Francis I need to climb that tree. Stay here, all of you. And kill anything that even looks like a Zerg while I'm up there."

Corporal Montville looked askance at Francis, but merely received a shake of the head and a raised shushing finger.

Mark hoisted himself up the tree slowly, aiming for the top while trying to be inconspicuous. The view was exactly what he had expected and hoped it would not be. Mentally, he flipped a switch, and his bionic eyes scrutinized the Zerg carefully, counting units and measuring distances.

When he reached the bottom, he nodded to Francis. "It's them."

"How much of a problem do we have?"

"A huge one. It's a full hive. Looked like almost every type of ground unit that the Zerg possess, plus a couple that I didn't recognize… which is disturbing, since I've seen a lot of the Zerg strains. They must have come in before the colonists did. We have to get back, the city must be warned!"

"How far away from here are they?"

"We're on the edge of the creep now, but the hive is spread out over three square miles. They'll be gearing up soon to do something, Francis, we should really get moving."

"Did they see you at all?"

Mark hesitated. "I believe not, but it's best not to take chances."

Francis slung his rifle over his shoulder. "That'll have to be good enough I suppose. You're right, let's head back. Sergeant Derricks won't be happy, but there's nothing for it."

He raised his comlink to his mouth. "All teams, head back to base. We found a Zerg hive. Repeat, we found a Zerg hive. Get your asses home people."

The team turned and headed back down the trail, their minds roiling.

Suddenly a chittering sound came from the woods. The team drew their weapons and looked around sharply, every eye scanning the trees.

"Mark," said Francis, his voice deceptively casual, "What exactly did those unknown Zerg strains look like?"

"Huge slugs, basically, and another strain looked like something that had venom spitters," Mark answered. "No idea what they do of course."

"Right, right," Francis said.

Suddenly, the ground erupted around them and three Zerg attacked them.

"Those are the ones that are the venom spitters, watch yourselves!" Mark shouted.

"Fall back!" Francis ordered.

The team formed a semi-circle around Francis and Mark, laying down a hail of cover fire as the three Zerg spat corrosive secretions at them. The acid was very potent; more than once when it touched the body armor of the scout team, the metal simply melted away.

They fought on, however, determined to win out against the odds. Grenades destroyed one Zerg; a well-placed shot from Mark took out another. The third one turned to run but Francis slammed it up against a tree and it was cut down in an explosion of gunfire.

In the aftermath, Francis looked critically at the unknown Zerg strain, walking around it to see it from every angle he could. The best thing he could think of to compare it to was a highly evolved spider, bred for the carnage of war.

"Ugly little buggers, aren't they?" Mark said, raising an eyebrow.

"That they are… Wonder what Derricks will make of this," Francis answered. "We should get back." He looked down at where his wrist armor had been, and inspected the smoking remains of where the acid had hit him. "Anyone take any serious injury? No? Good."

The team quickly moved away into the woods, heading back towards the caravan.


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Francis marched towards Sergeant Derricks' office, nodding to some of the regulars as he worked his way towards the back of the building. He wasn't looking forward to this meeting, but it had to be done.

He saluted the secretary at the desk and asked, "Is Gunnery Sergeant Derricks in?"

"Yes," the corporal answered, "You can go right in. He isn't busy."

"Thanks, Corporal, that will be all," Francis said, smiling at him. He stepped towards the door of the office.

The door hissed open, and Sergeant Derricks looked up from the map he was brooding over. Francis saluted and stood at parade rest.

"Sir, we have a major problem. There's a large Zerg hive set up about an hour on foot northeast of where the incident with the civilians took place. We had to fight three Zerg which both my scout and myself had not seen before today on our way out. Luckily we don't seem to have been followed, but there's no telling what will happen with them. Mark believed they'd be gearing up for an attack soon based on the numbers at the hive."

"A full hive, you say?" Sergeant Derricks raised an eyebrow. "That's definitely not good. How large?"

"Three square miles, according to my scout."

"And what did these unknown strains look like?"

Francis scratched his head. "Rather spider-like, sir… six legs and a tight little ball for a body with a mouth that spit venom, and able to burrow themselves. Mark said there were also slug-like creatures at the hive. We have no idea what those do."

Derricks chewed his lower lip in thought.

"Thank you, Sergeant. I'll need to pass this up the chain, but you were correct to come straight here. I'll be on the phone for the next few hours, but I'll let you know what happens next as soon as I find out."

"Yes, sir."

"Dismissed."

"One other thing, sir… What should we do, given the danger of not knowing what might come from the Zerg's new capabilities?"

Derricks stood up. "Sergeant, I'm going to have to ask you to keep that quiet. It's a very good thing you let me know that, but there's no sense in alarming the entire base."

"I agree, sir, but I'd feel more comfortable knowing what we intended to do that new Zerg strains evidently don't matter. Shouldn't we get this knowledge out immediately?"

Derricks considered Francis silently. Finally, he took a deep breath and let it out.

"The Kel-Morian Combine was aware that there may have been aliens here, either Protoss or Zerg. To make things easier on ourselves, we brought along two nuclear missiles, which we placed in orbit, specifically as a friendly hello gift to our warped little friends. In light of your findings, it's almost certain that those missiles will be used soon. We can't afford to lose the resources still left on this planet."

The two men stared at each other.

"Mark's going to have to guide the missiles in, isn't he?" Francis finally asked.

Derricks nodded slowly. "It would make the most sense," he said. "If he's lucky, maybe he'll be able to escape the blast, but…"

"But you don't know for sure."

"No."

Francis turned away slowly and walked out, his head spinning.

_How the hell am I going to tell Mark?_ he wondered.


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

The meeting room door hissed open, and Mark entered, along with the rest of his team. Francis, for some reason, had been withdrawn ever since the final orders came down, and the mission briefing called. It was disconcerting; Mark had never seen him like this.

They took seats in the auditorium and settled in. As of yet there were only a few spectators, but the room was gradually filling up. It was early yet though, the meeting would not start for another five minutes.

Mark leaned over and tapped Francis on the shoulder.

"So what's eating you, Francis? You haven't been right for two full days, ever since you gave our report to Gunnery Sergeant Derricks."

"Hm? Oh it's nothing, Mark. Just been thinking about a bunch of things."

"Like what?"

"…I'd rather tell you after the meeting, Mark."

"Why?"

"You'll understand what I've been thinking about after the meeting. It… never mind. You'll see." Francis looked up. "And here he comes now."

The room quieted as Gunnery Sergeant Derricks walked out, holding a datapad.

"Two days ago, as you all know, we discovered a full hive of Zerg, complete with all of their primary ground units and at least two previously unknown creatures. Obviously, we cannot allow them to be here on the planet if any of us are to be safe. For the Terran Dominion, this planet is too important; there are still prime deposits of minerals and vespene gas, even after the Protoss bombarded this place. If the Zerg win the battle here, they threaten a major part of Terran Dominion space. Fortunately, we have a contingency plan in place for wiping them out quickly."

He took a deep breath. "When the Kel-Morian Combine was allowed to re-colonize this planet, it was under the understanding that any aliens we encountered here, Terran or Zerg, would have to be taken care of by ourselves. In case of hostilities, especially from the Zerg, we brought along with us a pair of nuclear missiles. We weren't sure what we'd find here before we set down, but it's obvious now that this hive must be destroyed."

There were murmurs around the room as people took in this information.

He looked up, and looked straight at Mark.

"Corporal Wolfe… will you be ready to guide the missiles in?"

Mark stared at him, uncomprehending for all of about two seconds, and then he looked at Francis and he understood. He stood up and saluted.

"I'll need more than just me, but I'll be ready, sir."

"You can choose your team, but choose wisely," said Derricks. "You're the only one here with Ghost training, and you know the area you scouted the best, so you're the one who'll have to guide the missiles in."

Mark nodded. "I understand, sir."

"Sergeants Wall, Lancaster, and Michaels."

Francis and two other men stood up.

"I'll want you to pick men out for a strike team to investigate afterwards and clean up anything that manages to survive the two nuclear strikes. We can't afford to leave stones unturned."

Francis saluted and started running through a list in his head as Derricks kept talking.

"Between now and the nuclear strikes tomorrow, we need to get everyone on the base into shelters. Corporal Wolfe, have a list of people on my desk in half an hour that you'll be taking with you; anyone not chosen by him should show up at Building B by then. We can't afford to waste any time."

Derricks stepped away from the podium and saluted, and the room stood and saluted him back.

"God be with us all."

The room started to empty, and Francis turned away, gathering his jacket and following the crowd outside. Mark followed Francis out, and pulled him into a small hallway.

"You knew?"

Francis nodded.

"How much did you know? Did you know about the nukes?"

"Sergeant Derricks told me about the nukes when he debriefed me. He told me you'd have to guide them in before I left his office when I reported our little scuffle with the Zerg."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I couldn't find the words."

"What do you mean you couldn't find the words?"

It was only then that Mark realized Francis was trying not to cry. "It was too hard to figure out how to tell you that I wasn't going to be able to watch your back," Francis said.

Mark just stared at him for a minute, and then the two old friends embraced. Soon, they knew, they would have to part ways… perhaps for good. But for now, they still had each other.

Mark broke it first, wiping his eyes and pulling away.

"We both have to go arrange our teams. Hopefully I'll see you tonight," he said.

"Yeah. Try to come back in one piece, brother," Francis replied.

One last handclasp, and they were walking away.


End file.
